Three Taken Into Custody at Central Connecticut State University

Police run onto the Central Connecticut State University campus on Monday.

UPDATED | Police at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain have taken three people into custody in an investigation of a student seen wearing camouflage and possibly carrying a sword and a gun near campus, officials said. There were no injuries, officials said.

“We received 911 calls of a person that was apparently armed and causing some amount of alarm as they walked through the campus,” said New Britain Police Department Chief James Wardwell. When police responded, the 911 callers “assisted in directing our officers…exactly where to go,” Mr. Wardwell said.

The suspect “was walking then started running. It started to alarm people,” said Chris Cervoni, the university’s director of public safety.

Police later spotted the suspect on a campus security camera holding what appeared to be a sword, Mr. Cervoni said, though no weapons have been recovered as of Monday evening.

“We’re going back into the rooms to search the rooms further,” Mr. Cervoni said, who added that the camouflage “possibly could have been a Halloween costume, that’s what we’re looking into.”

One of the three people in custody is a student at CCSU, Mr. Cervoni said. It’s unclear if the other two are students, he said.

“They were in the same room with the third party,” Mr. Cervoni said.

Police searched an eight-story residence called James Hall for the suspect, officials said. The building is the campus’s largest coed dorm, housing 415 students, according to the school’s Web site.

The campus went on lockdown at about 12 p.m., with students told to stay indoors and away from windows. At about 3:20 p.m., the lockdown was lifted, officials said.

The sounds that you just heard was campus police indicating that the campus is ALL CLEAR #ccsu. You may now leave the buildings.

Students turned to social media and television news for updates but found little new information as the events were unfolding.

“It was hard for a couple hours just figuring out what was going on. That was the worst part—just not knowing,” said Kathleen Ericson, 19 years old, a second-year business management student from Newington, Conn. She was in a classroom with about 25 other students.

Once the students understood what was happening, many called and sent texts to family, letting them know they were safe, Ms. Ericson said. The students, in turn, were checking on their friends who live in James Hall.

“I was texting them because a couple of them were in their rooms still on the same floor where all that was going on. They had to barricade their doors,” Ms. Ericson said.

Students on lockdown in their dorm rooms and classrooms posted photos on Twitter of police activity, including a man who appeared to be handcuffed and surrounded by police officers.

All classes and events were canceled for Monday, and the school will resume a normal schedule on Tuesday.

“While there was no act of violence today, the actions taken once these reports came in are exactly why it is so important to say something if you see something,” Gov. Dannel Malloy said in a press release. “ Unfortunately, incidents like these will occur, but today showed us the ideal way for them to conclude – with no one seriously harmed.”